SymbolHub

Shift Key Symbol (⇧)

The shift key symbol ⇧ is Unicode U+21E7, the keyboard modifier symbol used to access capital letters and shifted punctuation characters. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+21E7
HTML
⇧
Word
21E7 Alt+X

How to type the shift key symbol (⇧)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ⇧ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 21E7 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Upwards White Arrow, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for shift and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 21E7.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 21e7, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy ⇧ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;shif. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy ⇧ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 21E7, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 21E7 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “shift” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8679) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ⇧ or ⇧ in your HTML.

What does ⇧ mean?

The ⇧ symbol, catalogued in the Unicode standard as UPWARDS WHITE ARROW (U+21E7), is the universally recognised emblem for the Shift key found on modern desktop, notebook, and virtual touch-screen keyboards. Historically, mechanical typewriters featured a physical mechanism that mechanically lifted or shifted the entire heavy carriage or typebasket so that capitalised metal type slugs struck the ink ribbon rather than their lowercase counterparts. To commemorate this physical operation, early computer keyboard manufacturers adopted an upward-pointing hollow arrow to communicate an upward shift in character level and case.

In modern computer interfaces, holding Shift capitalises alphabetic letters and unlocks the upper symbols located on the top number and punctuation keys. For instance, holding Shift while typing number keys accesses secondary characters such as the at sign @, the hashtag symbol #, and the ampersand &. In software navigation, Shift frequently reverses the direction of focus traversal when combined with Tab, or extends contiguous selection ranges across documents, spreadsheets, and file managers.

Across macOS menu items, ⇧ serves as the standard notation for the Shift modifier, appearing in complex shortcuts alongside the command key symbol ⌘ and the caps lock symbol ⇪. For an exhaustive overview of computer layout keys and keyboard shortcuts, explore our guides on keyboard symbols and mac keyboard symbols.

Common uses

  • Text capitalisation: holding Shift while pressing any letter produces its uppercase glyph
  • Punctuation access: unlocking shifted characters on the top number row like !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, and *
  • Contiguous range selection: holding Shift while clicking elements in file explorers selects all items between clicks
  • Reversing tab order: pressing Shift + Tab shifts focus backward through web form fields and application controls

Shift Key Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ⇧. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+21E7
HTML decimal⇧
HTML hex⇧
CSS contentcontent: "\21E7";
JavaScript"\u21E7"
Python"\u21E7"
Python (by name)"\N{UPWARDS WHITE ARROW}"
Java / C#"\u21E7"
UTF-8 bytesE2 87 A7
UTF-1621E7
URL encoded%E2%87%A7

⇧ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ⇧ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Upwards White Arrow From Bar
U+21EA		Caps lock symbol, which features a horizontal bar beneath the upward white arrow to indicate a locking toggle.
Upwards Arrow
U+2191		Upwards arrow, a solid directional arrow used for navigation rather than modifier state.
Up-Pointing Triangle
U+25B2		Black up-pointing triangle, a solid geometric glyph often used in dropdown buttons.
Up Arrowhead
U+2303		Control key symbol, an upward arrowhead without a stem.

Symbols similar to ⇧

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full arrow symbols collection.

⇧ character properties

Official Unicode name
UPWARDS WHITE ARROW
Also known as
shift symbol, upwards white arrow, shift arrow, capitalisation key, level 2 select
Code point
U+21E7
Unicode block
Arrows (U+2190–U+21FF)
General category
Other symbol (So)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

Why is the Shift key represented by an upward arrow?

The upward arrow originates from mechanical typewriters, where pressing the Shift key physically raised the metal typebasket or platen carriage upward so that capitalised metal letters struck the ribbon.

What is the difference between ⇧ Shift and ⇪ Caps Lock?

Shift is a momentary modifier that only applies while held down, affecting both letters and number-row punctuation. Caps Lock is a toggled state that exclusively transforms letters into uppercase without altering punctuation or numbers.

How does Shift behave in software shortcuts?

In many desktop applications, adding Shift to an existing shortcut inverts or extends the operation: for example, Command + Z undoes an edit, while Command + Shift + Z redoes it.

Is there an alt code for the shift key symbol?

No. ⇧ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 21E7 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the shift key symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ⇧ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “shift” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the shift key symbol?

⇧ has no named HTML entity. Use the numeric reference ⇧ or ⇧, or paste the character directly into a UTF-8 page.

What is the Unicode for the shift key symbol?

⇧ is U+21E7, officially named UPWARDS WHITE ARROW, in the Arrows block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).